Austin Hall Library

Advanced Level St. Thomas Aquinas

Some important suggestions for those who are ready to read St. Thomas:

Summa Theologica (This is the masterwork of perhaps the greatest mind the Western world ever produced. The excellence of thought and clarity of expression alone are reasons to read and reread this incredible text. This particular five-volume set is a fine translation by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province and Amazon has the hardback version on for a great price.). On Being and Essence (A dense and very significant set of complex arguments concerning the nature of essence, being, and existence. It is actually available in an online version here.). On Human Nature (An important study on the nature and essence of the soul. On a related topic, the fundamental but complicated On the Principles of Nature is available online here.). On the Virtues (Aquinas' treatment on the question of how the concept of virtue fits into ethics as a whole.). On Evil (A neglected treatment by Aquinas on the nature of the bad. His metaphysics of the bad (in short, a privation) was very helpful to me in understanding the nature of evil. This may be the Angelic Doctor's finest work of moral philosophy.). Commentary on Aristotle's Metaphysics (A detailed commentary on Aristotle's actual work.). Commentary on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (A must read for understanding Aquinas' take on Aristotle and how Aristotle impacted his thought. The Dumb Ox series of these commentaries, by the way, are very good.). Summa Contra Gentiles (An important theological synthesis on most of the critical theological questions. This is the first volume of a five-volume series available in paperback.).  

Intermediate Level St. Thomas Aquinas

For Those Getting More Serious About St. Thomas

The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle by Jonathan Barnes (A very important resource for those finding it necessary to better understand Aristotle--without working through all his writings). Medieval Philosophy by Armand Maurer (An excellent historical survey of this important philosophical period and its major philosophers--helps with context). Reality: A Synthesis of Thomistic Thought by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange (A great summary of the philosophical and theological thought of St. Thomas by my favorite theologian of the modern period. I read everything I can get my hands on by this author. This book presupposes some knowledge of philosophy and Catholic theology. It is recently back in print and available on the web). The Silence of St. Thomas: Three Essays by Josef Pieper (A short and superb work on the nature of things in St. Thomas). The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas by Etienne Gilson (Quite simply, this book is a contender for the best intermediate introduction to St. Thomas ever written--outstanding). The One and the Many: A Contemporary Thomistic Metaphysics by W. Norris Clarke (The other contender for the best intermediate introduction to Thomistic thought ever written). The Metaphysical Thought of Thomas Aquinas: From Finite Being to Uncreated Being by John F. Wippel (As an intermediate/advanced reference resource on Thomistic metaphysics, this book has it all, but not for the beginner--read Clarke's text first). A Shorter Summa: The Essential Philosophical Passages of Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica by Peter Kreeft (Selections of key passages from Thomas' Summa, with annotations by a modern philosopher with a gift for making Aquinas accessible. Don't miss this book). Aquinas's Shorter Summa: Saint Thomas's Own Concise Version of His Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas (A concise summary of Thomas' masterwork in his own words).

Entry Level St. Thomas Aquinas

For those interested in a greater familiarity with the Angelic Doctor and his works, but who may have a limited background in philosophy and/or theology, the list below may provide a good basic introduction. The recommendations are taken from a longer list I occasionally recommend for studying the works of Aquinas.

Preparatory Recommendations for the Study of St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox by G.K. Chesterton (Etienne Gilson, the great Aquinas scholar, said "I consider it as being without possible comparison the best book ever written on St. Thomas. Nothing short of genius can account for such an achievement...."). Aristotle for Everybody by Mortimer Adler (Perhaps the very best introduction to Aristotle and his thought available in English. Important as a foundation to St. Thomas.). Aquinas 101: A Basic Introduction to the Thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas by Francis Selman (A simple and accurate summation of Aquinas' thought). Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas by Anton C. Pegis (Good introduction that provides context for St. Thomas' work). A First Glance at St. Thomas Aquinas: A Handbook for Peeping Thomists by Ralph McInerny (A great, short, and easy to read introduction that might be a little hard to find before long). Aquinas by Frederick Charles Copleston (One of my favorites by perhaps the top Jesuit philosopher of the 20th century. Available on the secondary market).   

The City of God is Not a Place

Perhaps the first major intellectual achievement of Latin Christianity, St. Augustine's City of God is a Western classic for all ages. Often listed among the classic Western texts on politics or political philosophy, such a designation somewhat misses the point of the monumental work. The title of the book was taken from Psalm 87:3 "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God," and St. Augustine's primary purpose was to show the radical nature of the basic antithesis between two opposing forces under the figure of two cities.

 

The "City of God" (civitas Dei) is one force and, in principle, is committed to the love of God and the fulfillment of His will. The "City of Man" (civitas homini) is the other force and, in principle, is committed to the love of self and the fulfillment of the autonomous human will.  Augustine developed his view of the antithesis from Scripture and specifically sets forth the origin of the opposition in his Commentary on Genesis (AD 394), quoting Genesis 3:15: "I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel." He later names the two cities allegorically, Jerusalem and Babylon, in his treatise On Catechising the Uninstructed (AD 400).  "Jerusalem" signifies the communion of saints and exists of all the Christians who have ever been and shall be. "Babylon" signifies the communion of those who do not embrace the Christian faith. These two cities, and their consequent worldviews, are found in the human race from its beginning, mutually intermingling until the final judgment.

 

The two cities cannot be found in concrete things and are actually metaphysical entities; which is to say that they have a spiritual existence. They are actually spiritual forces in opposition, and the human beings representing those spiritual forces hold opposing worldviews. Their fundamental beliefs about reality and the world are antithetical, pursuant to the judicial decree of Providence. 

 

The City of God is divided into twenty-two chapters (called “books”), the first ten of which form a defense of Christianity against the charge that Christians were ultimately responsible for the sacking of Rome by the Goths in AD 410, while the remaining twelve chapters, which detail the origin (11-14), historical course (15-18), and ends (19-22) of the City of God and City of Man were added later. One of the better translations of the work is Henry Bettenson's Penguin Classic paperback. In the late 90s, however, I picked up a copy of an excellent new English translation by R.W. Dyson, titled Augustine: The City of God Against the Pagans. It is a very readable translation with a concise introduction, full biographical notes, and a bibliography and chronology of St. Augustine's life.

 

It is likely, based on excerpts from St. Augustine's letters, that he used the occasion of the fall of Rome to articulate and bring to fruition ideas on which he had long reflected. The fall of Rome was the catalyst, but not the inspiration for the ideas found in City of God.

 

 

Confessions

The Confessions, by St. Augustine (pronounced "Ah-GUS-tin"), describes his conversion to Christianity in AD 386, is his best known work, and is one of the great classics of Western literature. Begun in AD 396, a full ten years after his conversion, the Confessions defies any neat classification. It remains highly popular today with people of devout religious faith, historians, biographers, and classicists. It deserves careful study by thoughtful people everywhere, whether motivated by religion or otherwise.

My favorite English translation is the Penguin Classic paperback by R.S. Pine-Coffin (yes, that's his real name). It is a highly readable translation and has been my personal favorite for many years, even though I own many other translations. The popular, and very fine, Oxford World Classic translation by Henry Chadwick is also a very good choice. For text and outstanding commentary, try the three-volume series by James J. O'Donnell, although it is likely only to be available these days on the secondary market. Fortunately, there is an electronic version of O'Donnell's masterful work with Latin text and commentary (some in English) here.

Confessions is arranged in thirteen books (roughly equivalent to modern chapters), and is written as a sort of prayer or conversation, with God as the unseen and unheard interlocutor. Books 1-9 are highly biographical and provide a version of St. Augustine's life leading up to, and immediately following his dramatic conversion in Milan in 386.

As O'Donnell notes, Book 10 reflects on "the continuing search for God and the continuing failure of that search to achieve perfect fruition"--what St. Augustine calls continentia, which is primarily understood as single-minded and single-hearted devotion to God.

Books 11-13 are dedicated to the beginnings of a commentary on the biblical book of Genesis, chapter one. But, Augustine gets no farther in Book 11 than 'In the beginning' before he becomes preoccupied with the nature of time. Books 12-13 cover the six days of creation as they are recorded in Genesis.

There has been a great deal of scholarly theorizing as to the unity of the Confessions. What could be the connection between the early biographical books and the latter books? The view that seems to make the most sense to me is unity in the nature of conversion. St. Augustine's dramatic personal conversion, and creation understood (as Augustine often understands it) as transformation towards God, display a certain unity. What happened to St. Augustine in his conversion is simply a miniature of what is happening in divine creation and world history--God at work conforming all things to Himself. As St. Augustine says so eloquently,

You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and to your wisdom there is no limit. And man, who is a part of your creation, wishes to praise you, man who bears about within himself his mortality, who bears within himself testimony to his sin and testimony that you resist the proud. Yet man, this part of your creation, wishes to praise you. You arouse him to take joy in praising you for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.

Join a Book Club

One of the best ways to increase one's appreciation for books and motivation to read is to join a book club, or, to start one's own book club. They range from very small to large, from one genre to many, and from very informal to quite formal. Yesterday, my wife was inducted into the quite formal history book club in our community--white tablecloths and napkins, attendance roll, and all. This particular book club celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009 and is inviting Barbara Bush to join them and speak to commemorate its anniversary.

You can find a virtually comprehensive online guide to starting and running a book club here. Another helpful resource may be found here. For an interesting approach to a book club, take a look at this article. You can meet in a private home, public hall, or a small intimate coffeehouse, but don't forget that the objective is the intellectual stimulation and growth that results from reading and dialogue.

New Arrivals in the Library

I am behind on my reading as usual but I cannot help pushing a couple of recent arrivals to the top of my list. After a long delay, I finally purchased Roy Deferrari's twelve hundred page Lexicon of St. Thomas Aquinas. Originally published in 1948, it is based on the greatest of Aquinas's work, Summa Theologica, and provides a ready guide to help understand the original text of that work without having always to depend on someone else’s translation. The book is in Latin and it analyzes every word of the Summa Theologica, as well as terms from other of the angelic doctor’s works. My knowledge of Ecclesiastical Latin is virtually non-existent, but I couldn't wait any longer for a miracle. I had to begin wading through this important book now.

In the same order, I also received Denzinger's Sources of Catholic Dogma, which is an English translation of Heinrich Denzinger's great Enchiridion Symbolorum et Definitionum. It is a collection (enchiridion) of articles (symbols) of faith and morals that includes articles and creeds of the Catholic Faith beginning with that of the twelve apostles, all dogmatic definitions stamped with the Petrine authority of the apostolic See (ex cathedra), decrees of the solemn magisterium, papal bulls, encyclicals and letters, as well as some of the more weighty decisions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly known as the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office) prior to 1957. It is a great book for anyone interested in historical theology. I begin this week to teach a small class on Church History, so Denzinger's book is an invaluable resource.

It's About Me

I picked up a copy of Christopher Lasch's perceptive book The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations at a used bookstore not long ago. Published initially in 1979, I should have come upon it much earlier but for some reason I had not. Lasch's book provides a a penetrating analysis of a growing problem in modern American culture—intense self-absorption.

Consider this brief comment: “The contemporary climate is therapeutic, not religious. People today hunger not for personal salvation, let alone for the restoration of an earlier golden age, but for the feeling, the momentary illusion of personal well-being, health, and psychic security.” Lasch goes on to say that today radical politics fill empty lives and provide a sense of meaning and purpose.

Some of the commentary is a bit dated and the book doesn’t make my list of critical or priority reads,  but for a raw and insightful analysis of a sober problem in modern culture, it is very good. While the book’s solid Freudian foundation is often distracting and occasionally silly, the social analysis is thoughtful and provocative. The subject matter itself is vital because it is necessary to understand the dominant influences upon the modern American mind before one can engage in meaningful dialogue toward renewal.

Top Ten Historical Novels

My tastes in historical fiction are not very refined. I didn't read any fiction until 1991 (other than what I occasionally read when I was much younger), and the genre remains a small part of my reading to this day. But, I have come to believe that one can't do better on a rainy day, or on a long flight, than spending one's time with a gripping historical novel--the genre that combines historical facts with fiction.

This post introduces my top ten list of historical novels in alphabetical order. As I said, it is not a refined list, but, for the most part, the books are great reads.

While I fell in love with the American West as a young boy by reading Louis L'Amour paperbacks, I  was forever captivated when I read James A. Michener's Centennial, about a fictitious Colorado town by that name (there is an actual Colorado town by that name where the author lived for a year doing research for the book). Michener makes the northern plains Indians, fur trappers, pioneer settlers, soldiers, ranchers, and dry land and irrigation farmers come alive in this epic of the American West. It was this book, in significant part, that spurred me to eventually make my home in the West and to embrace everything about that great region.

Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather, is based on the experiences of two historic French Catholic priests (a bishop--archbishop in real life--and his vicar) sent to the American Southwest in 1851. It is quite literally a beautiful book--with stunning descriptions of the southwestern frontier. It is also a deeply moving book about humanity and faith.

I have on more than one occasion written of my affection for Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire. It is a page-turner about the 5th century B.C. Battle of Thermopylae that is not for the faint of heart. It contains graphic violence in the context of war and is a mesmerizing and well-researched account of the Spartan worldview. This book appeals to me on a mysterious level and reminds me, each time I read the battle narratives, of Geroge C. Scott's quote, in the movie Patton, referring to the sacking of Carthage: ". . . The soldiers lay naked in the sun, two thousand years ago; and I was here."

Robert Graves' historically detailed I, Claudius: From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Born 10 B.C., Murdered and Deified A.D. 54 chronicles the period in Roman history immediately following the fall of the Republic and near the beginning of the rule of the Caesars. It is a highly readable first person narrative about a very important period in history, written by an accomplished historian. This is not only a really good novel, it is very good history.

I include Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey as one historical novel. They are actually two books (poems) that tell stories older than the written word. The Iliad is the story of the ten-year long Trojan War, which climaxes with the destruction of the City of Troy by the Greeks. The Odyssey is the story of the adventures of the Greek Odysseus (also known as Ulysses) during his long journey home from the war. Strictly speaking, these books are not historical novels. The belong to the genre of epic. An epic is a long poem that tells a story involving gods, heroes and heroic exploits. But, I include them because they share some characteristics with historical fiction and they were profoundly influential classics in Western literature, not to mention that The Iliad is one of the best war stories of all time.

From this post, one might get the idea that I am obsessed with tales of war, and that thought even occurs to me as I write my next recommendation: The Killer Angels. Written by Michael Shaara, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of Confederate Generals Lee, Longstreet, and Armistead and Federal General Buford, Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, and others. I have read much of the historical literature on the War Between the States and The Killer Angels is the most gripping treatment of the valor and sacrifice of that war I have ever read.

Then there is the episodically brilliant saga of the American West, Lonesome Dove. Actually, I read this book only relatively recently, after seeing the television miniseries by the same name--several times. The book is a story of the quest of two aging former Texas Rangers to lead a cattle drive from the Rio Grande to the Territory of Montana, and the character development in Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize winner is unexcelled. This Western has everything: larger than life cowboys, deep masculine friendships, a cattle drive, lots of bravado, outlaws, vast prairies, Indians, river crossings, a lynching, gunfights, gamblers, authentic western lore, and cleverly written dialogue by an author who actually understands Westerners, particularly Texans. Only such an author would have known to include in the story the novel's oft-repeated refrain, "Things would've been a lot better if we'd stayed in Texas."

Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose is a brilliant and complex mystery novel about a monk and his young assistant (the narrator) dispatched to a monastery to investigate heresy. Soon after their arrival, however, their focus shifts to a series of mysterious murders, and the reason behind the deaths. Set in a 14th century Italian Abbey, this is a masterpiece of the thinking person's novel. It has a spellbinding plot, plenty of historical facts, and interesting philosophical and theological questions. If you like books, the description of the Abbey's library alone is worth the read.

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth powerfully chronicles the experiences of a prior, his master builder, and their community as they struggle simply to live and to build a cathedral during the tumultuous 12th century. It is hard to explain the impact this beautifully haunting novel had on me when I first read it. Rich character development and attention to detail are characteristics of this historical novel of the Middle Ages and, even though it contains gratuitous sex and a couple of other things that detract from the story, it likely rates up there with the best historical novels ever written.

Finally, there is James A. Michener's absorbing work of genius, Texas. Covering the whole panoramic  history of the great State of Texas, this extremely well-researched novel helps one understand why Texas is the way it is, and its people are the way they are. The book is certainly not accurate in all its history and it takes some patience and perseverance in the early pages, but it is well worth the effort. God bless Texas!

Books and Guns

Molon Labe! (Μολὼν λαβέ, pronounced "mo-lone lah-veh") is the Greek expression of defiance uttered by King Leonidas of the Spartans when presented with the Persians' ultimatum to give up their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae. It means "Come [and] take [them]!" The picture on the left is of the words inscribed in marble on a monument at Thermopylae. For the best historical novel written on the Battle of Thermopylae, by the way, pick up Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. I was swept away in Pressfield's breathtaking description of the battle and the heroism of the Spartans.

I thought of Leonidas' defiant statement when I came upon the following Dutch proverb yesterday: "Arms and books need to be looked at every day." The Dutch have changed but the wisdom of that proverb has not. In addition to a fine library, one ought to have a few well chosen guns and know how to use them. If you need to be deprogrammed and persuaded, try John R. Lott, Jr.'s somewhat dry but irrefutable More Guns Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. I heard Lott give a defense of his book in Washington, D.C. in the late 90s and went right out and bought the book. If you don't need persuading, you should nonetheless add to your library Boston's Gun Bible. The Amazon editorial review calls it "a no holds barred consumer guide to firearms, accessories, and shooting." It is likely the best all-around reference book for firearms owners.

While neither violence nor arms should ever be glorified, there is probably no subject under the sun that has spawned greater nonsense written about it than gun ownership--with, of course, the notable exception of Southern history and culture.